Amazon Germany is strengthening workplace safety in its warehouse operations by deploying an advanced personnel protection system on around 50 high-rack forklifts. The company is introducing the PPS High Performance mobile personnel protection system from tbm hightech control on Toyota Material Handling forklifts operating in narrow-aisle warehouse environments.
The project covers Toyota OME 100HW and Toyota VCE 150A high-rack forklifts. The first vehicles have already been fitted with the technology, with further installations planned as part of the wider safety programme. The PPS High Performance system is designed to improve safety in high-rack warehouses where forklifts operate in confined aisles and share working areas with pedestrians and other vehicles. The system uses laser scanning and sensors to continuously monitor the area around the forklift.
When the system detects a person or another vehicle within a defined safety zone, it can automatically slow down or stop the forklift. This is intended to reduce the risk of collisions and provide additional protection for warehouse employees working around material-handling equipment.
The technology also supports automatic speed monitoring and controlled travel permissions. Safety zones and protective distances can be adjusted according to the forklift’s speed, location and the specific conditions of the warehouse. The ability to configure the system according to individual vehicle characteristics and warehouse layouts is particularly important for high-rack operations. Narrow aisles, restricted visibility and frequent forklift movements can create challenging conditions for operators and pedestrians.
By combining automated monitoring with vehicle control functions, the system is designed to support operators while maintaining efficient warehouse movement. It can continuously assess the operating environment rather than relying solely on visual awareness from the forklift driver.
tbm hightech control is an exclusive technology partner of Toyota Material Handling. The partnership brings together forklift technology and automated safety systems to address the growing requirements of modern warehouse operations. Amazon’s deployment forms part of a broader focus on workplace safety and the use of technology to reduce operational risks. As warehouses become increasingly automated and high-volume logistics operations expand, technologies capable of monitoring vehicle and pedestrian movement are becoming an important part of warehouse safety strategies.
The installation of the PPS High Performance system on approximately 50 high-rack forklifts represents a significant deployment within Amazon Germany’s warehouse operations. The first equipped vehicles are already operating, marking the beginning of the planned rollout.
The system is expected to provide continuous protection across forklift travel routes while allowing operators to maintain productivity. Its ability to adapt safety fields and speed limits to different warehouse conditions also supports more flexible deployment across multiple operating environments.
